Syllabic keyboard for type-writers and type-setting machines.



PATENTBD APR. 28, 1908.

H. G. MoGOOL. SYLLABIO KEYBOARD FOR TYPE WRITERS AND TYPE SETTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21. 1906.

INVENTOH HENRY [1MB Gum.

.W/T/VESSES A TTORWEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY GAYLORD MCCOOL, OF CARMICHAELS, PENNSYLVANIA.

SYLLAIBIC KEYBOARD FOR TYPE-WRITERS AND TYPE-SETTING MACHINES.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed August 21, 1906. Serial No. 331,511.

Improved Syllabic Keyboard for Type- Writers and Type-Setting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to obtain great speed and thus enable more work to be done in a shorter time than has been heretofore possible on typewriters and analogous machines. To accomplish-this, both letters and syllables are used in a new arrangement or association.

The accompanying drawing represents the keyboard in plan view.

The key-board consists of twelve rows of keys, sixteen keys to the row, and the several rows being arranged in an incline plane, one rising above another as in the well-known Smith-Premier machine. The keys are arranged in blocks, groups, or divisions, indicated in the drawings by numbers 1 to 12 ihclusive. Considering, first, division 1, it will be seen that the first four consonants of the alphabet, namely, B, C, D, F, distinguish it. In other words it is composed of 20 keys, and the four in the first, second, third and fourth horizontal rows bear successively the consonants B, C, D, F, the same being alternately upper and lower-case on the several rows. The fifth or lowest row bears the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, in place of the consonants beforenamed. On each of the 20 keys there are formed two syllables, or words, by union or association of the aforesaid consonants and the five vowels a, e, i, o, u. Thus, on the first key,the first vowel and consonant of the alphabet form ab and bat; on the second in the same row, the syllables a c and car appear; on the third are a d""and dar; and on the fourth, a f and far. second vowel e is used in lace of a, along with consonant b to form e b and bet, 0 c and cor; ed and der,- and e f and fer, respectively. Finally, on the lowest row, the vowel u is used with consonant b to form u b and but, u c and our, u and dur, and id and fur, respectively.

In block or division 2, the arrangement in block 1 is practically reversed, the vowels a, e, i, o, n, being the chief distinguishing On the row below the first, the

feature, and combined with consonants b, c, d, f, to form in the first row letter groups, syllables or words, ba, ban, ca, (Can,) (d3), (181)?! (fa)! (fan); the second, or next, row, be, ben, ce, ((081,177) KKde/I (den); fe,77 (lfen)7; the third row, b0, bon, .00, con, do, don, f0 fon; and so on.

It will be seen thatblook 1 thus utilizes the vowels and the first four consonants. In block 3, the said vowels are a'gaincombined or associated with the next group of consonants, namely, g, l, m, n, to form in the first row the syllables ag, gat, at, lat, am, mat, an,nat;- and in the second row, eg, get, et,let, em, met, en, net, in the third row, ig, git, it, lit, im, mit, in, nit; and so on. Again, in block 4, this order is practically reversed, so that said block is related to block 3 in the same way as block 2 to block 1 namely, in the first row of keys, appear ga, gan, la lan, ma man, na nan, and in the second row, ge gen, le,- len.

Block 5 employs consonants p, r, s, t, and block 7 the consonants v, w, X, y, and vowels a, e, i, o, u, in the same manner as before described in reference to preceding consonants in blocks 1, 3, 5, etc.

The numerals 1 to 16 are applied to the several keys in the 4th row or bank, and numerals 17 to 24 are appliedto the lower row of contiguous blocks 6 and '8, while fractio'nal numbers fig, etc., up to 11/16 are applied to the other rows in" blocks 6 and 8. The several blocks 9, 10, 11 and 12, consist each of eight keys which bear letters, syllables, signs, and symbols useful and necessary to fill out a key-board intended as this is to facilitate very rapid work.

Taking the grouping or arrangement as a whole of letters, syllables, or words, and signs, including numerals, it is very quickly learned, with the result that much greater speedin typewriting may be attained than I by any other keyboard or system known to me.

For sake of easier distinction of the several blocks from each other, those blocks which are in diagonal, or cornerwise relation to each other are colored black; but of course any other preferred color may be employed.

What I claim is- 1. In a keyboard of the class indicated, a series of blocks of keys bearing as marks the vowels a, e, i, o, u, and the series of consonants associated with said vowels in alphaorder and associated with, the vowels a, e, i, betical order and thus forming syllables, sub- 0, u, in the same order, as shown and destantiallyas described; scribed. v v I 2. The keyboard of the class indicated HENRY GAYLORD MGOOOL. 5 formed of keys arranied'in blocks, each com- Witnesses:

prising five rows of eys which bear conso- KATE E; YOUNG,

nants arranged successively in alphabetical MARGARET YOUNG Q 

